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Title: Systems report on the analysis of spent, highly enriched U-235 reactor fuel by delayed neutron interrogation

Abstract

Design aspects are briefly given of a neutron source shuffler used to measure fissile material content of spent, highly enriched reactor fuel. The mode of operation used, results of analyzing 176 fuel packages and recommended system improvements are discussed. Four measurements were made on each of the fuel packages with the mean of the 176 standard deviations being 2.03 percent of value. The maximum individual standard deviation was 9.27 percent. Appendixes concerning imprecisions introduced by counting statistics and crane speed irregularities are given. Use of an improved neutron source shuffler, an improved fuel package motion system and modernized computer system should permit system performance to be limited mainly by counting statistics, to about 1.5 percent of measured value. A stronger source could then be installed to further enhance system operation. 16 figs., 3 tabs.

Authors:
;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Westinghouse Idaho Nuclear Co., Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (USA)
Sponsoring Org.:
DOE/NE
OSTI Identifier:
6776321
Report Number(s):
WINCO-1076
ON: DE90013539; TRN: 90-027823
DOE Contract Number:  
AC07-84ID12435
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; SPENT FUELS; DELAYED NEUTRON ANALYSIS; CALIBRATION; FISSILE MATERIALS; FLUXMETERS; FUEL ELEMENTS; HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM; LIMITING VALUES; NEUTRON DETECTORS; NEUTRON SOURCES; NUCLEAR FUELS; REPROCESSING; STATISTICAL DATA; URANIUM 235; ACTINIDE ISOTOPES; ACTINIDE NUCLEI; ACTINIDES; ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; CHEMICAL ANALYSIS; DATA; ELEMENTS; ENERGY SOURCES; ENRICHED URANIUM; EVEN-ODD NUCLEI; FISSIONABLE MATERIALS; FUELS; HEAVY NUCLEI; INFORMATION; ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES; ISOTOPE ENRICHED MATERIALS; ISOTOPES; MATERIALS; MEASURING INSTRUMENTS; METALS; MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; NONDESTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS; NUCLEAR REACTION ANALYSIS; NUCLEI; NUMERICAL DATA; PARTICLE SOURCES; RADIATION DETECTORS; RADIATION SOURCES; RADIOISOTOPES; REACTOR COMPONENTS; REACTOR MATERIALS; SEPARATION PROCESSES; URANIUM; URANIUM ISOTOPES; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; 050800* - Nuclear Fuels- Spent Fuels Reprocessing

Citation Formats

Piper, T C, and Kirkham, R J. Systems report on the analysis of spent, highly enriched U-235 reactor fuel by delayed neutron interrogation. United States: N. p., 1990. Web. doi:10.2172/6776321.
Piper, T C, & Kirkham, R J. Systems report on the analysis of spent, highly enriched U-235 reactor fuel by delayed neutron interrogation. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/6776321
Piper, T C, and Kirkham, R J. 1990. "Systems report on the analysis of spent, highly enriched U-235 reactor fuel by delayed neutron interrogation". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/6776321. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/6776321.
@article{osti_6776321,
title = {Systems report on the analysis of spent, highly enriched U-235 reactor fuel by delayed neutron interrogation},
author = {Piper, T C and Kirkham, R J},
abstractNote = {Design aspects are briefly given of a neutron source shuffler used to measure fissile material content of spent, highly enriched reactor fuel. The mode of operation used, results of analyzing 176 fuel packages and recommended system improvements are discussed. Four measurements were made on each of the fuel packages with the mean of the 176 standard deviations being 2.03 percent of value. The maximum individual standard deviation was 9.27 percent. Appendixes concerning imprecisions introduced by counting statistics and crane speed irregularities are given. Use of an improved neutron source shuffler, an improved fuel package motion system and modernized computer system should permit system performance to be limited mainly by counting statistics, to about 1.5 percent of measured value. A stronger source could then be installed to further enhance system operation. 16 figs., 3 tabs.},
doi = {10.2172/6776321},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6776321}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990},
month = {Tue May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990}
}